self-image

rose_ashes · **rose_ashes**

so many women out there suffer from low self-image, which leads them to disorders such as anorexia, depression, or just plain self-loathing. everything around us pressures us to be thin and beautiful... but is that really what we need to be?

i've struggled with my self-image for a long time now. i'm just now beginning to realize that i had an eating disorder for a while. starving myself and losing 30lbs in the process, i got down to almost 95 pounds. i'm sixteen and 5'3.5". that was over the summer... then i went back to school, and the pressure to make good grades overcame my eating disorder. so then i began beating myself up over B's and low A's. even now, whenever i walk into a room, i'm certain that everyone is looking me over, silently criticizing everything about me. i can hardly talk to anyone, for fear of drawing attention to myself. i continuously wish i could go back to my eating disorder, because for once in my life, i felt good about myself. i had the willpower to make myself quit eating, and i had a much better body, though still not ideal by any means. i have a boyfriend who loves me and friends who support me, and both give compliments on a regular basis. i assume that my self-confidence issues come from when i was a child and was outcasted at my private christian school. that's when i started to hit rock bottom and when i first started to think about suicide.

anyhow, i made it past that. but for anyone and everyone who is still struggling with the demon of self-image, what are some good tips to feel better about yourself and not so ugly compared to all the other girls? what are ya'lls views on society's expectations of women's appearances nowadays? what kind of role do you think that plays in a girl's life?

p.s. sorry about the... guts-spilling. lol.

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"The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible" -Oscar Wilde

7/22/04

Bebi · **Bebi**

I've struggled with low self esteem for as long as I can remember, but mine's not really based on my looks as such. Ok, I don't consider myself pretty etc, but the feelings of general inadequacy tend to over-ride this. I'm always comparing myself to people and deciding I'm not as clever as them. I'm told I'm quite clever etc, and I'd like to believe it, but deep down I have a "knowledge" that it's just said to make me feel better. It's like whenever I'm complimented I see it as people just saying it because it's what they think I want to hear. (does that make sense?) I also understand the self-hate, I have that too. Often I think to myself how can anyone like me when I don't even like myself? Hubs has a hard time trying to get his head around it, then again so do I and I've lived with it for years...

I'm afraid I don't have any advice regarding this, other than the standard stuff as in "believe in yourself" but I know that this is harder than it sounds. I've never found any of the advice given to me particularly helpful - it's a bit hard when there's a voice in your head saying "it won't work, you're useless etc"

Don't apologise about the "guts-spilling" it's helpful to get things off your chest hun, and if it helps us to understand you a bit better then it's for the good xxx
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rose_ashes · **rose_ashes**

thanks. and yes, i definitely do get where you're coming from. my friends are all straight-A students and make perfect grades. because i'm friends with them, i'm expected to have flawless grades as well. which just isn't happening. i'm far too lazy for that.... Mr. Green

no, in reality, i think i just don't apply myself enough, though i'm afraid that if i apply myself any more i might just blow a fuse.

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"The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible" -Oscar Wilde

7/22/04